Entry Description: This intimate chapel for Point Loma Nazarene University on the Southern California coast
evolves from two inspirations: its serene natural setting and spiritual significance. The entry
plays with scale, compressing and then opening up to enhance the user's connection and
sense of arrival. The volume opens into its main sanctuary, expressed in concrete, wood and
glass. Overhead, a light canopy of native wood and wicker hangs in the space, evoking the
lifting of the spirit and Christ's crown of thorns, while also gently filtering sunlight. Organic
materials continue the theme of embrace, while concrete conveys earthly presence and
strength. Though small, the space offers a path of sacred experience. Three personal prayer
niches radiate from the sanctuary's center, separated by partitions of slatted wood offering
privacy while allowing natural daylight to penetrate. The number three is evoked throughout
the design, a symbol of the Holy Trinity.